When the Clock Struck Twelve
by Sanya Sparxblood
Summary: Arinia Rose never had memories from her past. She's an outsider in Storybrooke. It's always been that way. Until one night, she meets a mysterious man who might know more about her past than anyone. Secrets unravel and danger lurks around every corner...


Arinia Rose sat in the corner of the coffee shop, wondering when Red would get there with her hot chocolate. She'd ordered it half an hour ago. She looked around and saw her talking with a guy in dark jeans and black hair. Just her type of guy. And unfortunately, that guy was delaying Red's ordering and delivering of drinks.  
>"Red!"<br>Red looked at her and stormed that way, not without her proud stride that she kept with her twenty-four-seven.  
>"What? Wolf got your tongue?"<br>"Wolf? I thought it was cat... Oi...Never mind. I'm your best friend and being a best friend means warning you when your not watching the clock. Look."  
>She looked up and noticed it had been thirty two minutes since she had taken my order and during that time, had probably pissed off a lot of people.<br>"Oh... God. Thanks. But no thanks at the same time! He was just telling me about his new motorcycle..."  
>A motorcycle. Exactly her type. The type that would get her kicked out of town. That's what she wanted anyway.<br>She saw my expression and shook her head.  
>"No, Rose. He's actually-"<br>"Don't call me that. I know I call you Red, but you actually like the nickname. You know I don't like that one."  
>"Why not?" She asked, clearly annoyed. "It's better than your actual name, so why not use it?"<br>Yeah. That was her best friend for you.  
>Arinia got up and grabbed her jacket.<br>"Look, I need to go. I'm meeting Jack later tonight."  
>Red groaned, crossing off Arinia's order.<br>"Jack? You got to be kidding. He used to be fun you know. Then he got that fortune and went all goody-two shoes on us. Why do you like him again?"  
>I just stared at her and shrugged.<br>"I guess the same reasons you like... Whoever that is."  
>"Robin. And he's very cool."<br>Alinia knew that when Red said "cool" she didn't mean it that way. It meant she thought he was attractive.  
>"Look elsewhere."<br>"Why?" Red pouted.  
>"He's trouble. And I know I sound like your grandmother, but your not going to get anything out of him."<br>Alinia looked over at Robin to see him with Red's charm bracelet. The one with the real rubies that her actual grandmother had given her for her sixteenth birthday.  
>"Except maybe your riches. Stay here."<br>She started to walk towards Robin when he saw her coming and dashed away. Alinia dropped her jacket and started to run after him. She could hear the distant yells from Red behind her as Robin ran through the streets of Storybrooke. He turned a sharp left corner and Alinia slipped, skinning her knee and tearing her jeans. She got up and kept running, ignoring the pain in her leg.  
>Alinia stopped in front of a dark ally, looking around. She didn't seem him anywhere. It was like he had disappeared. She took a deep breath and turned around to go back to Red when a hand reached out from the ally and pulled her into it. She struggled against Robin, thinking of what to do in a situation like this.<br>"What is it that you want?"  
>"Give me your money. All of your jewelry. Anything worth something. And make it quick. Then I'll let you go. Maybe."<br>Alinia tried to get to his side, but he held her in a headlock. She couldn't get away.  
>"Now! With no struggling, you-"<br>"Let her go. Now."  
>Robin looked up and instantly let Alinia go and backed away.<br>"You... You aren't even supposed to be alive-"  
>"NOW. I SAID. BEAT IT."<br>A man walked into the light and she noticed that the voice came from a man, maybe six foot, with red hair and grey eyes.  
>"NOW."<br>Robin ran away as fast as he could, knocking over a few trashcans on the way. The man dropped to her side and looked her right in the eyes.  
>"Are you hurt? That son of a- Never mind that. Just... Are you alright?"<br>Alinia nodded and tried to stand up, but couldn't after the shock of what had just happened and because of her knee. The man offered her help and she gladly took it.  
>"Thank you for saving me."<br>"No problem. Are you sure your not hurt?"  
>"I skinned my knee. Other than that I think I'm alright."<br>"Would you mind if I took a look at it? I'd feel better knowing that you went out of that without any problems."  
>Alinia stared at him for a moment. She was extremely talented when trying to decipher people's intentions. She looked in his eyes and knew that he was truly concerned. But could she really trust him?<br>She nodded her head and sat back down, a little too quickly.  
>"Wow... You okay there?"<br>"Yeah. Dizzy now."  
>He just nodded and made sure her knee was alright. He swore and looked up at her.<br>"You have glass in the wound, miss... I'm afraid the only way I can get it out is by doing it myself. Or you could do it."  
>"Just go ahead." Alinia said, gesturing towards her injury.<br>The man didn't hesitate. He quickly pulled out all of the glass, ignoring Arinia's screams. When he finished, he left her and bought some gauze at a shop. He wrapped her knee up and then helped her up.  
>"All better. You may want to clean it out when you get home though."<br>Arinia thanked him and held out her hand.  
>"Thank you. Arinia."<br>"Arinia. I'm Romeo."  
>"Romeo?"<br>"Yeah."  
>"Cool name. I've never heard it before."<br>Romeo smiled and shook her hand.  
>"It's good to meet you, Arinia. Do you mind if I walk you back to wherever you were running from?"<br>"Red's. Well, that what I call it anyway. I'll lead the way."  
>Arinia started walking and Romeo followed. They walked in silence for a few minutes before he asked her a question.<br>"Why were you chasing him?"  
>"He took my friend's ring. Her grandmother had given her that ring, and as much as Red resents her, she still loves her and keeps everything she gives her very close to her heart. I couldn't let him go. Which reminds me... I didn't get it back."<br>Romeo frowned and patted her on the back.  
>"I'll get it back from him."<br>"How? He's probably hiding in a hole somewhere, after the way you frightened him."  
>"I will. I've known him for a while. Just trust me. There's a relative of his that would absolutely kill him is she found out about it."<br>"Who is she?"  
>"His grandmother." Romeo smiled. "It seems your friend and Robin had something in common. They both resent one of their relatives."<br>It sounded like something that would have caught Red's attention. Someone who felt the way she did. Well, other than Arinia anyway.  
>"Do you have any close relatives?" Romeo asked her.<br>"No. I... don't have any family."  
>"Any?"<br>"None. I've been on my own for as long as I can remember existing. It's been pretty lonely. The only person I really talk to is Red. And the weird thing is..." She laughed and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm sharing this with you. But you seem like the type of person I can trust."  
>She turned the corner and continued to talk, Romeo right beside her.<br>"The thing is I have these dreams. And in these dreams-"  
>"There's a mystery guy who sends you admirer visions while you sleep?"<br>Arinia laughed.  
>"No- NO. I've never even had a boyfriend."<br>The silence started to ring in Arinia's ears after that and she cleared her throat.  
>"Anyway, I have these dreams and they're... extremely vivid. Like memories of some secret past that I can't get a strong grasp on. And I desperately wish for the fantasy in them... But I know that's impossible. Reality is my world, not some made up fantasy that doesn't exist. Here, I'm just the girl who shows up everyday at one- of her two- friend's coffee shop at 4:00 to draw or write her ridiculous fantasies up."<br>Romeo grinned.  
>"So you put them down on paper?"<br>"Well, yeah... I do. I figure it's the only way to get out of feeling lonely when I'm by myself."  
>"So you almost do live in your fantasy world?"<br>"In a sense, I guess that could technically be correct."  
>He laughed and looked at the ground.<br>"What? I know it's ridiculous-"  
>"It's not. It's just surprising how much you're similar to me. I'm not known well around here, I write books in my free time, and I just so happen to love coffee."<br>Arinia smiled and crossed her arms.  
>"Well, it's not the coffee I go for. It's the hot chocolate."<br>"Really? Even better."  
>Arinia looked at Romeo and saw that he was already looking at her. He quickly looked straight ahead and pointed towards Red's coffee shop.<br>"This it?"  
>"Yeah. Thanks again. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't have been there."<br>"Your welcome. And... If you ever need any help or... You want to have some hot chocolate together sometime, just give me a call alright?"  
>He took out his card and passed it to her.<br>"Bye, Arinia."  
>"Bye."<br>He gave her one last smile before turning in the other direction and walking across the street. She watched him go and then walked into the shop. Red was pacing the room and when she saw Arinia, she ran across the room and punched her in the arm.  
>"Ow!"<br>"Don't ever do that again! Not even for a stupid ring, you hear me?"  
>"I hear you, Red!"<br>She hugged her and Arinia hugged her back, looking at the cups of hot chocolate waiting on the corner table's wooden surface.  
>Red pulled away and looked where Romeo had just been a minute before.<br>"And who was that guy? He was hot."  
>And she was back to normal. Arinia smiled and thought before giving Red her answer.<br>"A new friend. A very wonderful one to be exact."


End file.
